Conveying grapple



Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,273

' R. H. NORTON ET AL CONVEYING GRAPPLE Filed Feb. '7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 2 1926.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

R. H. NORTON ET AL CONVEYING GRAPPLE azivr/w' Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,273

R. H. NORTON ET AL CONVEYING GRAPPLE Filed Feb. '7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fizzle/dons:

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' MzV-W diior/wg a- Patented Nov. 2, 1 926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH H. NORTON, WILLIAM C. FORK, AND CHESTER M. MACCHESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 ACME STEEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONVEYING GRAPPLE.

.The object of our invention is to facilitate the handling of heavy and unwieldy articlesas for example coils of steel strips in a rolling mill when the same are to be stacked upon the base of a charge box to go to the annealing furnace, or when, having been annealed, the are to be taken away for the practice of 0t er processes upon them or for shipment. Our appliance makes possible the expeditious liftin and transporting and depositing of stacfis of such articles in orderly fashion without the delay, awkwardness and uncertainty attendant upon practices heretofore pursued such as that which involves the use of a magnet suspended from a crane and necessarily applied singly to the coils.

The accompanyin drawings illustrate our appliance as a apted to the selected use above mentioned, though it is only one of many uses to which such an appliance might be put. As hereshown the appliance comprises in the main a hanger for suspension from the hook of a crane, and a holder of elongated form with expansible arms and mechanism for operating them. The holder is so mounted as to be capable of assuming various positions. It may hang vertically and have its contracted grappling arms dropped through the center of a stack of coils, said arms being then expanded to take secure hold of the stack for the lifting thereof. Or the holder may be disposed horizontally with its arms contracted when they'are to be thrust through the center of a horizontally arranged series of coils. The outer end of the holder is of sucha character as to provide for the application thereto of another crane-hook so that the series of coils can be raised and lowered while horizontally disposed and, through the working of the cables of the crane, the collection ofcoils can be swung from horizontal to vertical position and vice versa.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Fig. 1 depicts a situation in a rolling mill where a series of strip-coils is about to be taken from a buggy and transferred to and stacked upon the charge-base which is to gointo the annealing furnace; Fig. 2 is an illustration of the same character wherein the conveying appliance of our invention "is shown as Application filed February 7, 1924. Serial No. 691,113.

having been engaged with thetseries of coils and suspended horizontally from both hooks of the crane which is about to lift the coils from the buggy; Fig. 3 is another illustration of like character wherein the coils are shown as having been lifted from the buggy and carried to a position above the chargebase, and here dottedlines show the lowering of one of the hooks of the crane, which is accompanied by the swinging of the holder and the coils so that they hang vertically from the other hook of the crane, the hanger suspended from the lower crane hook being detached from the holder which is upon the charge-base through the lowering of the main crane hook; Fig. 4 re resents the holder in side elevation suspen ed vertically and with its arms contracted so that they may pass through the coils which appear in dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the arms of the holder expanded and engaged with a, stack of coils; Fig. 6 is a similar side elevation, on a larger scale, of that portion of the holder wherein the operating mechanism is carried; Fig. 7 is a View of the same portion of the holder looking from the left of Fig. 6; Figs. 8 and 9 are cross-sections taken on lines 8-8 and 9'9, respectively of Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a crosssection taken on line 101O of Fig. 5; Figs. 11 and 12 are elevations at rightangles to each other of the hanger which grapples the outer end of the holder, the engaged portion of one of the arms of the latter appearing in Fig. 11 Where one of the side pieces of the hanger is shown broken away.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the numeral 2 designates the charge-base on which two series of strip-coils 3 are shown as having already been stacked. The numeral 4 designates a buggy carr ing other series of coils lying horizontally 1n it, and the numeral 5 designates a main crane hook from which the holder is shown suspended. An auxiliary crane hook 6 has a hanger suspended'from it. Both crane hooks are elevated but in crane hook has been engaged with the upper one of the arms of the holder. crane hooks are shown again elevated with the holder and the series of coils that have been removed from the buggy suspended horizontally over the charge-base, dotted lines showing the ensuing lowered position of the auxiliary crane-hook and its hanger which appears resting upon the charge-base after detachment from the holder. The arms of the latter are still expanded so as to uphold the coils that are about to be deosited in a stack upon the charge base, the iolder having been swung to the vertical position illustrated by dotted lines. There is a groove 2 running lengthwise of the chargibase to receive the protruding ends. of t e holder arms when the stack of coils lands on the said charge-base as the main crane hook auxiliary hook which will also have been elevated, will be. caused to travel back to position above the bu g or above another one which has been roli into place, so that another series of coils may be taken therefrom and conveyed to the charge base.

The conveying appliances are also employed to lift the stacks of coils from the charge base after the annealing has been accomplished and transport them to and deposit them upon the buggies. In this case the main crank-hook with the holder suspended vertically from itand the arms contracted, will be lowered so as to drop the arms through a stack of coils, the ends of the arms being received in the groove of the charge-base and the arms then being expanded so that upon then elevating the main crane-hook the stacks of coils will be lifted from the charge-base. The hanger suspended from the then lowered auxiliary crane hook 6 will be engaged with the end of one of the holder-arms and this crane-hook will be raised so as to swing the holder and the stack of coils to a horizontal position, after which the two crane-hooks will be caused to travel over to a position above the buggy and will then be lowered so as to deposit the coils upon the buggy. Then the hanger of the auxiliary crane hook will be detached from Y the holder and the arms of the latter will be contracted and withdrawn from the coils.

Referring next to Figs. 4 to 6, the main body of the holder is composed of a pair of I rather wide plates 7 bolted together with suitable spacing washers. A hanger bar 8 suspended by a shackle 9 from the main crane-hook 5, extends between the frame.

plates 7 of the holder with which it is piv- In Fig. 3 the I otally-connected at its lower end as shown at- 10 so that the holder may be swung freely between vertical and horizontal positions. Counterweights 11 are applied to the plates 7 to one side of the pivot 10 so that the holder may be easily swung about that pivot, these weights counter-balancing parts that are on the other side of the pivot so that there will be no preponderance of weight to render the holder unruly. One holder arm 12, in the form of a long bar, is bolted or riveted between the lates 7 and extends out from them a consi erable distance on the side of the pivot 10 opposite that where the counterweights are located. Another holder arm 12 of corresponding extent has a sliding engagement with said plates, being maintained parallel with the rigid arm 12 radius links 13. Two such links are pivotally connected with the arm 12, and two with the arm 12 andthese links are connccted together and to an intermediate bar 14 in pairs so that they take on the character of toggle links. The bar 12 extends at its inner end between the frame plates 7 which are slotted cross-wise as-shown at 7 to receive rollers 12 on a journal stud 12 carried by the arm 12 (Fig. 9). Angle bars 7 riveted to the plates 7 extend along the slots 7 and constitute rails on which the said rollers 12 travel.

The intermediate arm or bar 14 also extends between the frame plates'and the inner end of this intermediate bar is connected to a wrist pin 15 on a gear segment 16 which is journaled at 16 to the frame plates. The wrist pinworks in an arcuate slot 17 in one of the frame plates. A gear pinion 18 is in "this gear pinion a hand-wheel 20.

It Will be seen that by the turning of the said hand-wheel in one direction the gear segment will be swung so as to operate the intermediate bar 14 in a way to expand the arms 12 and 12"; whereas when the said hand wheel is turned in the opposite direction the said intermediate bar will he so operated as to contract said arms. Grappling pieces 21 and 22 are riveted to the ends of the arms 12 and 12, these pieces being formed with fingers extending oppositely at right angles to the arms.

' When contracted as shown in Fig. 4 the arms may be thrust through a.stack of strip coils and then expanded so as to take the fingers 0f thegrappling pieces under the lowermost coil of the stack as shown in Fig. 5. Then the whole stack of coils can be carried u ward on the holder as the latter is' raised y the crane hook 5.

The grappling piece 22 of the rigid arm 12 is made with a notch 22" on the inner side at the heel so as to provide'for reliable engagement therewith of the hanger which is sus ended from the auxiliary crane hook 6. This hanger as best shown in Figs..11 and 12, is composed of a pair of bars 23 riveted together with suitable spacers, one of the rivets 24 being outside of the spacers at the lower end of the hanger so as to be capable of engaging the notch 22 as shown in Fig. 11. A shackle 25 is applied to the upper end of the hanger for suspending it from the crane hook.

Inxorder to lock the holder arms against closing when they are supporting the weight of a stack of coils, and particularly when starting to lift the same with the grappling pieces perhaps not engaged to the fullest ex? tent w1t-h the lowermost coil, we pivot an angular dog 26 to the frame adjacent the pinion 18, and when the hand wheel has been turned so as to expand the holderarms as much as possible this dog will lock the gearing against reverse turning by engagement of its tooth between teeth of the pinion. A

, spring 26. applied to said dog enforces engagement between it and the pinion.

The relationship between the dog and the pinion is that of a pawl and ratchet so that the dog does not interfere in any way with the turning of the pinion in a direction to expand the arms.

'In order to lock the arms in contracted state we pivot another dog 27 to the frame adjacent the gear segment 16 so that when the hand wheel has been turned to fully contract the arms, this dog 27 will be thrown by spring 27' to a position where its acting 7 end engages against the end of the segmentas shown in Fig. 4.

The formation of this dog 27 is such that the'teeth of the segment will slide. past it in both directions, the dog merel functioning to lock the segment. when the atter is in its extreme position for contracting the arms.

Each of the aforesaid dogs 26 and 27 has a handle, as illustrated in the drawings, by which it can be conveniently manipulated to unlock the gearing.

In operation when the arms, fully contracted and locked in that state by the dog 27, have been inserted through a stack of coils so that their grappling pieces 21, 22 are below the lowermost coil, the dog 27 is rocked out of engagement with the gear segrection to expand the arms, the dog 26 being out of engagement with the gear pinion. Then when the arms have been expanded so that their 'gra pling pieces 21, 22 have become engaged eneath the lowermost coil of the stack, the dog 26-will be thrown into engagement with said gear inion soas to lock the'arms'in their expan ed state.

From what has already been stated the uses of the appliance which has now been nection with operations in a rolling mill, but

of course our invention is not to be taken as limited to that particular field, and moreover it is to be understood that considerable structural modification may be resorted to in embodying our invention within the scope of claims which follow.

We claim:

1. A. conveyor comprising a hanger, a

frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, toggle links connecting, the two arms, and means for operating'said links.

2. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, an intermediate arm, toggle links connectingthe latter with the holder-arms, and means applied to the intermediate arm for spreading the holder arms apart.

3. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, an intermediatearm, toggle links connecting the latter with pivotally connected with said intermediate arm, 4

4. A conveyor comprising a. hanger, a frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, an intermediate arm, toggle links connecting the latter with the holder arms, an oscillatory segment pivotally connected with said intermediate arm, and a pinion in mesh with said segment and equipped with means for rotating it.

5. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a-

frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, an intermediate arm, toggle links connectingthe latter with the holder arms, an oscillatory driver pivotally connected with said intermediate arm,

and a movable lock piece for said driver to maintain the holder arms contracted.

6. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a frame suspended therefrom, a holder arm rigid with the frame, a holder arm slidably engaged with the frame, an intermediate -ment and the hand wheel is rotated in a dirm, oggle links connecting the latter With the holder arms, an oscillatory segment piv otally connected with said intermediate arm, a pinion in mesh with said segment and equipped with means for rotating it, and

means for locking'said mechanism to hold the holder arms, and an oscillatorydriver 9 arm, toggle links connecting the latter with the holder arms, an oscillatory segment pivotally connected with said intermediate arm, a pinion in mesh With said segment and equipped with means for rotating it, a lock- .ing dog to engage the segment for holding the arms contracted, and a locking dog to engage the pinion for holding the arms expanded.

8. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a pair of frame plates pivotally connected therewith, a rigid arm extending from said plates, a companion arm with rollers in crosswise slots of the plates, an intermediate arm, links connecting the three arms, a gear segment on the frame and to which the intermediate arm is coupled, and a pinion in mesh with the segment and equipped for manipulation.

9. A conveyor comprising a hanger. a

' frame suspended therefrom, an expansible holder on the frame, means for expanding said holder, and an auxiliary hanger to grapple the outer end of the holder.

10. A conveyor comprising a hanger, a frame suspended therefrom, a pair of holder arms on the frame, means for spreading said arms apart, and an auxiliary hanger to grapple one of said arms.

11. A conveyor comprising a main hanger equipped for suspension from a crane-hook, a frame pivotally suspended fromsaid hanger, expansible arms on said frame and having grappling pieces at their ends, means carried by the frame for operating the arms,

and an auxiliary hanger equipped for suspension from another crane-hook, and adapted to engage the grappling piece of one of said arms.

RALPH H. NORTON. WILLIAM C.'FORK. CHESTER M. MACCHESNEY. 

